2. Topics
SNAP?
What is EBT
Benefits
Things to Consider
Application
How does it work
Advertisement
Online Directory
Contact Info
EBT 101
3. SNAP?
2008 – FS to SNAP, OH=FA
The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition
Services (FNS) provides funding for
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) benefits for each state.
EBT 101
Ohio benefits are county-issued
and state monitored
4. What is EBT
Electronic Benefit Transfer is the process
where Food Assistance benefits are
electronically transferred from the
recipient’s account to the retailer’s
account when the client is purchasing
eligible food items.
Ohio Food Assistance benefits are issued
via the Ohio Direction Card
*to see a list of food items eligible for purchase using
Food Assistance benefits, visit
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
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5. Benefits of Accepting EBT
New customers – expand your customer
base
Increased sales
Improve local economy
Promote healthy food choices
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6. Things to Consider
1. Setup:
• Equipment & utility costs
• Market procedures
• Design & create market materials
2. Operating and Labor Costs
• Staff/Volunteers
• Farmer agreements
• EBT/SNAP training
• Continued promotion
3. Record Keeping
• Track aggregate totals monthly,
yearly, and by vendor
• Track returns and credits – EBT
customers are not to receive cash or
change
• Incentives – if offered by the market
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8. Application (cont.)
Same application is used for all applicants
FNS application processing can take up to 45 days
Initial application questions or to request a paper
application, call 1-877-823-4369
To check on a submitted online application, log
into your FNS account
To check on an existing paper application,
contact Robin Masters 317-510-7226 or
robin.masters@fns.usda.gov
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9. How Does it Work?
After becoming certified by the USDA, each
market decides how to process the EBT payments.
EBT-Only Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
Manual Vouchers with POS Terminal
Manual Vouchers without POS Terminal
Third Party Processor (TPP) POS Terminal
Wireless TPP POS Terminals
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10. EBT-Only POS Terminal
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1. FNS Certification
2. Vendor Contract
3. Equipment & training
Must have electric
and phone line
11. Manual Vouchers with POS
2-ply voucher completed on site
Contact vendor customer service for voucher authorization
number
Customer signs, market manager signs
Voucher is dated
Copy to customer
Market manager enters voucher through POS within 10 calendar
days
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12. Manual Voucher without POS
Market manager completes 3-ply
voucher
Obtain voucher authorization number
Signatures and date on voucher
Copy to customer
Copy for market manager files
Copy mailed to Xerox
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13. TPP Terminals
Third Party Provider (TPP) – not state vendor
TPPs typically accept credit cards in addition to
EBT transactions
When researching a TPP, be sure to specifically
ask if they support Ohio EBT Transactions
Markets must research and compare
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14. Wireless TPP Terminals
USDA, has awarded a contract to the
National Association of Farmers’ Market
Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP) to help
increase the acceptance of SNAP
benefits at farmers markets nationwide.
Marketlink.org is using WorldPay and Novo
Dia Group
Talk with other markets about
which TPP they use
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15. Centralized POS
The majority of markets utilize a centralized
POS and issue tokens or scrip for customers
to use like money as they shop.
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17. Advertisement
EBT recipients receive a system-generated notice
in the mail listing all FM’s in their residential zip
code that accept EBT
ODJFS Twitter Account
https://twitter.com/OhioJFS
ODJFS Facebook account
https://www.facebook.com/OhioJFS
ODJFS Pinterest Board
http://www.pinterest.com/OhioJFS/ohio-ebt-farmers-market/
Farmer’s Market listed on the ODJFS Online
Directory
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19. Contact
• Melissa Wolfe 614-752-0483 melissa.wolfe@jfs.ohio.gov
• Christina Thomas 614-644-1319 christina.thomas@jfs.ohio.gov
• http://jfs.ohio.gov/ofam/EBT-Farmers-Market.stm
EBT 101
Notes de l'éditeur
Looks like a wicked math problem, huh? In 2008 the Food Conservation and Energy Act mandated the name change from Food Stamps to SNAP. This name change focuses on nutrition and reduces stigma. Ohio has opted to call them Food Assistance benefits.Alphabet Soup - USDA, FNS, SNAP, FS, EBTExplain state-monitored, county-issued
USDA FNS has an online application process for certification to accept EBT/SNAP as payment at your market. They offer a paper version, but the online version is much more efficient.
EBT-Only POS Terminal: after receiving FNS certification, the market will receive a contract in the mail from our vendor, Xerox, regarding the receipt and use of an EBT-Only POS terminal. If you accept you would sign and return the agreement. Then you would receive and EBT-Only POS terminal after the processing of your agreement. The POS terminal will be accompanied by a detailed training video to explain how to set up and use the equipment.EBT-Only POS terminal Is free for any market that averages $100+ in FA redemptions per month. If the market doesn’t average $100/month, they may choose to pay a nominal fee or complete EBT transactions by voucher.In order to operate the equipment you must have access to a phone line and power outlet. If no access, market must determine if it will incur the cost to install the necessary access or have the POS located off-site.
Manual Vouchers with POS Terminal : The market can choose to have a POS terminal offsite and use the manual voucher system to complete Food Assistance transactions.
Manual Vouchers: The market is not required to have a POS terminal and can choose to use the manual voucher system to complete Food Assistance transactions. How it works: Complete the three-ply voucher onsite. Contact customer service to authorize the transaction and write the authorization number on the voucher; Write the date, manager sign, and customer signGive the customer their copy of the voucher; Keep one copy of the voucher; and Mail one copy of the voucher to Xerox within 4 calendar days of the transaction.
Markets may elect to use a Third Party Provider (TPP) to accept EBT transactions along with other major credit cards. If a market decides to use a TPP POS terminal, after being approved by Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), they can disregard the contract agreement from the EBT vendor, Xerox, for the EBT-only Terminal. The market will have to research and contract with a TPP that accepts Ohio EBT. The TPP will provide their contract, product and equipment information.
1. A SNAP customer shops at a vendor’s stand and receives a receipt from the vendor for food items purchased, and then leaves the purchased items with the vendor.2. The SNAP customer goes to the central POS terminal without the purchased goods to swipe the EBT card for the amount on the vendor’s receipt and enters the PIN.3. Once approval is granted, the manager gives the customer another transaction receipt to confirm payment, which the customer brings back to the vendor to retrieve the purchased items.